She was still too young.
Between goodness and darkness, this girl with her own beliefs always leaned toward the former.
She might not be afraid of bleeding, nor hard work, not even death; she saw Qiaodong and the surrounding survivors as her direction of effort.
She indulged Chen Feng, letting this kind-hearted old man personally capture Hong Jiuling, but the outcome was his heart being hollowed out, dying miserably at the other's hands.
She felt somewhat lost, not knowing if everything she insisted on was right.
"Because you are too weak.
During Xu Hongzhuang's grieving helplessness, a familiar male voice suddenly sounded beside her.
It was Chen Feng.
He seemed to have been here for some time, but only now did he come out.
Xu Hongzhuang didn't react much; she just lifted her head. Within her bewildered gaze was a trace of anger; it was this man who caused her belief to crack.
"You are the one who got Elder Zhou killed," Xu Hongzhuang whispered.
"It was Hong Jiuling who killed him, it has nothing to do with me."
Xu Hongzhuang pursed her lips, a bit angered at Chen Feng's nonchalant demeanor; she stopped talking, attempting to use silence to protest the other's cold-bloodedness.
Chen Feng chuckled, saying in a tone full of pity: "Ultimately, it's because you're too weak, your so-called justice is utterly fragile in the face of reality."
"You thought you could use power to change everything, but you couldn't even save Zhou Xian from danger."
"What do you have to escape my control? I can verbally grant you freedom, but you yourself live in the shadows of the past; unless your power can completely crush mine, everything you insist on is just a distant hope."
Xu Hongzhuang clenched her fists, her eyes showed some struggle, unsure of what she was thinking.
Chen Feng's eyes flickered with a red light, his voice somewhat hoarse, slowly he said: "It's precisely because of being too weak that you feel confused."
"If you were stronger than Hong Jiuling, as soon as you discovered his secret, you would have had the chance to slay him."
"If you were stronger than me, you could have stopped Zhou Xian from taking risks, thereby saving this elder who is so significant to Qiaodong."
"But you are nothing, no foundation, no strength, just like a puppet, moved at destiny's whim, all struggles are futile."
These words, like blades, pierced Xu Hongzhuang's heart, her face somewhat pale; this time Chen Feng didn't inflict physical torment, instead launched a mental assault, making her realize how insignificant she was now.
Xu Hongzhuang raised her head, her eyes mixed with some blood streaks, she gazed at Chen Feng, and said with a deep voice: "If I had strength, could I say no?"
Chen Feng's expression was rather playful, and said: "Yes."
"Hong Jiuling's power has been eradicated, the main battle faction suffered a fatal blow; this is your best chance to seize power, perhaps relying solely on yourself won't work, but you have me."
"I will help you take control of Qiaodong!"
"I'll tell you a secret, so-called Hong Jiuling is just an appetizer, the world to come will be more dangerous; evil existences are eyeing the home you want to protect."
"Use your strength to say no to this world, if you grasp Qiaodong, you will become the strongest ruler in this land."
"Feng Zhiyong is already old, even if he was once a hero, now he has become somewhat indecisive; it's his step-by-step retreat that nearly dragged Qiaodong into a point of no return. This city needs a new ruler, a strong ruler, one who dares to say no to all injustices and enemies."
"Accept my invitation; only by standing in the same position will our relationship be equal, I look forward to your transformation."
Chen Feng's figure vanished around the corner, leaving behind a bewildered Xu Hongzhuang kneeling in place, after a moment, she slowly stood up, a long knife appeared in her hand, she waved upward, and her long hair was cut into two sections, the green strands slowly fell to the ground, seemingly signifying something.
Xu Hongzhuang cut off her beloved long hair, as if bidding farewell to her past self.
She betrayed.
But seemingly didn't betray.
Xu Hongzhuang would regard Feng Zhiyong as her elder and teacher, but their beliefs diverged, in her bones hides a vengeful Demon.
Under Feng Zhiyong's entanglement with the conservative faction, this vengeful Demon was tightly sealed, but with Chen Feng's arrival, those seals were being gradually unraveled.
Today.
This Demon finally broke free from its seal, taking control of the body once more.
No one can wield the butcher's knife freely in Qiaodong.
No person, no creature, no existence can flaunt their power before her.
Her family died in the monster's mouth, Qiaodong was almost destroyed, countless people lost their lives and kin.
This suffering cannot continue.
It's time for revenge!
Xu Hongzhuang shed a tear, those who pursue the truth are always lonely, she will prove with facts, everything she does is right!